Monday, March 9, 2009

Vets explore the truth at Explore UT

This Saturday in Austin, the University of Texas held its annual open house called Explore UT. It's a great event that showcases university departments -- the arts, sciences, sports, music -- and draws families and bus-loads of high school students from all over Texas to get a look at the amazing facilities in our fair city.

However, the ROTC usually sponsors some kind of display directed to kids that doubles as a military recruitment tool. This year, it was a climbing wall and some chin-up bars. So, members of the UT student group, CAMEO (Campus Antiwar Movement to End Occupations) also had a table of literature next to the ROTC display and invited members of Iraq Veterans Against the War to join them to offer a reality check to kids drawn in by the military glamorization.

Reports from friends who were there indicated that the vets attracted a lot of interest from the kids, that teachers there with student groups encouraged their students to talk to the vets about the realities of war and that parents thanked the CAMEO group for bringing an alternative voice to the event.

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Since 1997, we have done direct outreach in the public high schools in Austin, Texas as an alternative to military recruitment in the schools. We are committed to the use and advocacy of nonviolence. Our group includes students, teachers, activists, veterans and parents. Contact us at 512-467-2946 or at SOYPeaceOptions@gmail.com
We're on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SOYPeaceOptions

About Me

I am co-coordinator of Sustainable Options for Youth (Nonmilitary Options for Youth) in Austin, Texas. The Sustainable Options for Youth blog describes activities of SOY in the schools and includes information about other work like ours around the country. Wage peace!